


They've got the kingdom locked up

by SelenicSoul83



Series: Thominho Week 2016 [5]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Day 5, M/M, Thominho Week 2016, royal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-18 01:30:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7294021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelenicSoul83/pseuds/SelenicSoul83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Thominho Week 2016. Day 5 - Royal AU.</p><p>In all of his thirteen years Thomas's mother, the queen, had kept him inside the palace walls - save from the dangers of the outside world. He relies on Minho to finally get him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They've got the kingdom locked up

“Boys, time for bed.”

Three voices spoke up.

“No, mom!”

“Please let them stay.”

“We’re not kids anymore.”

The woman sighed. Every single night the same scenario would play out. The boys started complaining, they’d argue, she’d put her foot down and they’d be off to their rooms sulking. Only to go through the same thing again the next evening.

“Newt, Minho, come on,” she said sternly, looking at her son and his friend respectively. Moments later she shooed both boys out of the room. As she went to close the door, she turned around. “Your royal highness.” Thomas rolled his eyes at the title. She smiled sweetly. “Good night.”

Thomas returned the smile. “Good night, miss.”

He got up from his bed, walked over to the window. Outside the sun had only just set. It was a warm summer night, and Thomas wanted nothing more than to walk out into those well-maintained gardens. He’d know. Newt’s father was in charge of them, and he’d have his son helping out most of the time.

Allowing Thomas’s friends, some servants’ kids, to roam around the palace almost freely was a small price for the Queen to pay in order to satisfy her only child. If she had taken away that, the boy was bound to rebel and she would not accept that. She had planned out his future strict and precise, and that future did not include him bringing any harm to himself by going outside the palace walls. He could get all the fresh air he needed in their extensive courtyard, planted with the most beautiful of flowers and the largest of trees. She’d even relented to have him build a treehouse, despite the dangers that could hold.

With a sigh, Thomas sat down on his bed. He looked at the clock. They’d leave in two and a half hours, when everyone was asleep. In two and a half hours he’d be either exploring the village for the first time in thirteen years, or he’d be caught and quite possibly locked away in this room for the rest of his life. It was a risk he was willing to take.

* * *

He didn’t sleep. It had been the plan to do so, but Thomas lay on his bed, waiting for sleep to take over and failing. Excitement ran through this veins, keeping him wide awake and highly observant of any outside noises. He heard the maids finish their jobs, servants running some final errands, and at one point his mother carefully opened the door to check up on him.

“Good night, love,” she’d whispered into the quiet room. Thomas momentarily doubted his decision.

Two minutes before their arranged time, soft footsteps sounded outside his bedroom again. Thomas was quickly on his feet, watching the door as it opened.

“No one heard you?” Thomas asked in a hush whisper.

Minho grinned. “Of course not,” he said, self-confident enough. “Come on, let’s not waste any time,” he then urged the other on.

He checked the hallway, which was as empty as ever, and motioned for Thomas to follow him.

Walking on tiptoes, the two boys made their way through long hallways and down several stairs, avoiding the main bedrooms and – more importantly still – the guards.

“Alright,” Minho said once they’d reached one of the servants’ entrances into the palace. “We’re getting out through here. Once we’re out that door, we’ll have about one minute to make a run for the outer fences. There’s a hole over there we can pass through.”

Thomas couldn’t believe it’d be that easy. Then again, the place had never been designed to provide much protection from outside. The guards where plenty to keep everyone and everything save. It’s not like anyone ever attempted an attack or raid on the royal family anyway. And Thomas’s parents had never thought they might need to watch for anyone _leaving_ here either.

He looked down at his slightly shaking hands. “Are you sure no one’ll see us?” he asked again.

It’d had obviously been his main concern when they constructed this plan last week.

Minho smirked. “You forget I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you have, Thomas.”

The boy only looked half convinced, so Minho took his hand, squeezed it.

Thomas met Minho’s gaze, his resolve hardening again. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

* * *

Minho’s one-minute prediction had been spot on. Not even five seconds later a guard crossed the overt lawn. He hadn’t seen or heard anything, and continued his round.

They found the hole in the fence hidden away behind some thorny bushes.

“Try to keep away from those,” Minho pointed.

Thomas tried but felt them prick at his skin anyway. Minho helped him worm his way through the fence, disentangling the edge that caught on Thomas’s shirt.

“We’re out,” Thomas said as he first took in his surroundings. He couldn’t quite believe it yet.

Minho smiled. “You’re out.” He spread his arms, gesturing at everything around them. “But this is still no fun. You,” He jabbed a finger at Thomas’s chest. “Are about to see the village at its prime – at night.”

Thomas nodded. He was ready. Again, they started running.

* * *

The village was a maze of streets and lanes and alleys. Thomas loved it. He ran following Minho, who knew his way around, and couldn’t keep himself from laughing all the while. Minho shushed him a couple of times, but only half-heartedly as he loved seeing the joy on Thomas’s face.

They turned corners left and right, and even though Thomas had never been here he felt at home. He felt like he knew these streets, if only from the countless times Minho had told him about them; when he had described the route he would take, the places he would visit, and the people he would meet.

Minho was perfectly allowed to leave the palace during the day, but he usually chose not to, simply to not leave Thomas behind. He had, however, been sneaking out at night repeatedly over the past four years. If anyone noticed, they obviously saw no harm in it.

“Where are we going?” Thomas asked after a while. They had cleared the village center and there were lesser buildings around now. All of a sudden Thomas felt very exposed.

“Just a little further,” Minho said, slowing down to a walk. “You’ll love it.”

“I already do,” Thomas said softly. Minho smiled.

The boys made their way through the outskirts of town now. Things were even more quiet here, and darker. It kept them from running.

At first, Thomas saw only a shimmer. Moments later the vast lake expanded in front of him. The full moon stood high in the sky, casting down an eerie glow, and ripples on the water caused the whole surface to glisten with a pale sparkle.

Minho led him down to a crooked pier leading onto the water. The wood creaked underneath their feet, but Minho assured him it would hold. It always did. They sat down at the edge, pulled off their shoes and let their feet hang over.

Thomas didn’t know whether to look up at the moon or down at its reflection, because both were equally wonderful.

“Minho, this is…” he began. He searched for the words, shook his head. Thomas didn’t know what to say. He leaned back on his hands, taking it all in.

Minho’s hand rested over his.

“Told you you’d love it,” the boy whispered.

Thomas looked at him, smiled, nodded. “You were right. I love it,” he said, holding Minho’s gaze.

Flustered, Minho pulled away his hand and sat perfectly upright, facing straight ahead. “Well, you’re welcome.” He forced a smirk onto his face. Next to him, Thomas chuckled.

“Thank you,” he said, before leaning over and kissing Minho’s cheek. As the boy turned to stare at him, Thomas pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Minho might’ve fallen into the lake if Thomas hadn’t held onto him.

They continued to sneak out regularly ever since.


End file.
